At Sunday Masses the weekend of Sept.17-18, Catechetical Sunday will be observed. This year, its theme is that of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, “This is my body given for you” (Luke 22:19).
The annual observance of Catechetical Sunday puts before the faithful the importance of catechetics for building up the faith of the people of God. It recognizes those who are involved in the ministry of religious education. Do they ever deserve our recognition! Some of these dedicated women and men teach in parish religious education programs, others in Catholic grammar and high schools, and others help with the day-to-day administration of these programs.
Their ministry is essential to the life of the Church. As is written about them in the Directory for Catechesis #110, they are “indispensable for the growth of the faith.” They not only prepare future members for the Church, but also, they interact with parents and families, too many of whom are distant from the Church or minimally participate in our community of faith. They have good intentions, bringing their child to a religious education program or enrolling him or her in a Catholic school. However, their practice of our faith is minimal. Frequently, they just want their child to receive the Sacraments – with results that in our schools, they pay little attention to the child’s religion curriculum and in parishes, they shop around for a program with the least requirements. These situations create pastoral conflict and bode poorly for the catechetical preparation of future generations of Catholics.
On the other hand, there are faithful parents who gladly cooperate with the religious education programs. They give priority to the Christian growth of their children. They understand that they are the first teachers of their children in the faith and seriously raise them in the faith.
The goal of the ministry of a catechist is to form a disciple of Jesus Christ. To accomplish that formation, the content of faith must be studied and learned; studying the content should be accompanied by active and regular participation in the life of the Church through prayer and the Sacraments. The goal of formation is discipleship, that is following Jesus Christ as an active member of the Roman Catholic Church. A disciple believes the Good News that the love of God has been revealed in Jesus Christ. By the example of their relationship with Jesus Christ and by their active involvement in the Church, catechists herald this goal of forming a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The definition of the word catechist is “to echo.” Who does a catechist echo? The person of the Lord Jesus Christ. To do this, a catechist passes on information about the faith, information arranged at the age level of the student. Further, the catechist shares her or his faith by showing his or her relationship with God. The catechist desires the same for their students. Ultimately, catechesis seeks the transformation of the life of each student.
The challenges faced by our catechists are enormous. They include a secularized society with no reference to spiritual realities; the imposition of distorted values by the media and some powers that be, e.g. politicians; the absence in public discourse of the mention of the living God; the collapse of the family structure, and an anything goes morality, to mention a few. Despite the challenges, a committed catechist attempts to pass on the faith to those who live in a society that can be labeled anti-faith.
On Catechetical Sunday, each parish expresses gratitude to their parishioners who are involved in catechetical ministry. Their sacrifices, frustrations and commitment are a credit to their faith and love for our Church. Saint Paul VI in the apostolic exhortation “Evangelii nuntiandi” wrote, “Modern man listens more willingly to witness than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” In my travels around the Diocese in our schools and in our parish programs, I have met these witnesses to Jesus Christ and His Church. They minister to little ones, to teenagers and to families. They give of themselves to guide others to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and to our Catholic Church. As Bishop, I salute and thank them for their ministry.
The theme for this year’s observance taken from the three-year Eucharistic Revival is about the Lord giving His Body and Blood. Our catechists who lovingly give of themselves to their students imitate the giving of the Lord. His gift is His Body and Blood, the Eucharist. The gift of our catechists is showing that faith in Christ and active participation in His Church lead to discipleship and eventually to eternal life.
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden